Are all EVs created equal? Absolutely not. Autoblog Contributor James Riswick answers your questions about Jaguar's electric Tesla fighter.
TranscriptJAMES RISWICK: This is the all new and all electric Jaguar I-PACE, the first real answer to the Tesla Model S and Model X. Now here are six questions and answers about it. There are three trim levels, but only one battery size, and every I-PACE has a pair of electric motors, one front and one rear. There's also only one battery estimate, 234 miles of range.
That's comparable to the 75D models of the Tesla Model S and Model X. However much like a gasoline car, range does not equal efficiency because the pace is just less efficient than the Teslas. It takes more electricity to achieve that same range. So your electricity bill is going to be higher, say about $150 to $200 per year.
Together, those two motors produce 394 horsepower and 512 pound-feet of torque. Jaguar says it'll go from 0 to 60 in 4.5 seconds. That would put it right in between the lighter model S and the heavier model X. Now what does that feel like? Well, all-wheel drive, all electric, yeah, this thing absolutely flattens you into your seat. It's fantastic, but then, you know, that's kind of what all high powered electric vehicles are like.
This is a little different in that it makes a different noise. You don't get that same high pitched electric whine in this car. No, it's a little more deeper, guttural, almost a appropriate purr, and just a lot more performance oriented, a little more exciting. It works, and I think it makes a difference to make this car feel just that much more fun and characterful.
Another thing about the battery is that it acts as a structural component. This is the stiffest car the Jaguar makes. It also lowers the center of gravity to about five inches lower than a Jaguar F-PACE.
Now when you take that plus the all-wheel drive system, the wheels pushed to the corners, the adaptive air suspension, and just Jags general adeptness at tuning a chassis for performance oriented vehicles, and you get a car that absolutely whips itself around corners. This is a blast to drive. So although you actually sit quite high here in the I-PACE, another benefit of that battery, it doesn't feel like a tall vehicle around corners.
On the outside, the I-PACE is about as long as most compact SUVs, say a Volvo XC60 or a Mercedes Benz GLC, but it's not as high, and the wheelbase, it is way longer. The cabin has also been pushed far forward. So altogether that means that the I-PACE's interior is much bigger than its exterior would indicate. The model S, it's a foot longer than this car, and yet, it has the same amount of rear seat leg room.
Now this driver's seat is set for myself. I'm 6' 3", and yet, I still have plenty of room behind myself. It also has far more headroom beneath this all glass roof.
As for the cargo area, it's more like a trunk, there's just not a lot of space above the back seat line, but in total, it has 25.3 cubic feet of space behind the back seat. That again is about the same as a Tesla Model S. As for the frunk, well, it's a lot smaller than a Teslas. You're really not fitting much more than the charger cord in here.
The I-PACE cabin is more stylish and it has higher quality materials than Jaguar's frankly disappointing F-PACE and E-PACE. The cabin's also just more conventional than you'd get in the Teslas. There's just more things controlled by actual buttons and switches. Personally, I do prefer that, but there are still plenty of futuristic screens.
Gauges? That's a screen. Climate control? Yep, that's a screen too. And the entertainment system? Obviously, yep, touch screen.
Pricing starts at $70,000, but this is highly customizable. Even the base model has full access to various interior colors, trim upgrades, as well as various feature additions. So you don't have to get some upper trim level to get desirable features, like say, a meridian sound system or the heated and cooled front seats. Now safety tech, it's standard, but you do have to pay extra for adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning, as well as a higher speed automatic braking system.
So this new I-PACE looks great, lots of space, definitely luxurious. It's a blast to drive. And oh yeah, you don't have to put any gas in it. If This. Is the future of cars, well, OK by me.
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